4/10/2008

When learning machining, turning parts on a lathe seemed so graceful and intuitive[1] whereas milling seemed much more cold and, well, machine like.

But after that initial time, I’ve had much more opportunity to mill than to lathe and so I’ve become very comfortable on the mill, to the point where I can do many things automatically. Today for the first time in a couple years, I used the lathe again. It was like coming back to a town you used to call home, that same very familiar feeling.

[Update: note added]

[1] Its overall intuitiveness didn’t stop me from confusing the r and z axes on three hours sleep once or twice.

It’s alright, I (possibly) may have once crashed a van-sized Mazak turning machine valued ~$200k! Remember, never turn the machine’s speed up to 90% of its top speed when you haven’t been using it for more than a couple of weeks.